iTunes 10 had been showing its age, not least because you were constantly fighting it to just play some damn music instead of trying to send you somewhere else, usually somewhere to buy something.

Apple

So Apple pretty much burned the whole thing down and replaced it. And it’s wonderful.

First of all, it’s fast. Scrolling through album covers is smooth and easy, almost to the degree that you find yourself wondering if this is actually iTunes. Everything except the controls you need is now largely in a drop down menu, meaning the unnecessary stuff crammed into iTunes 10 is now neatly folded away.

The interface is much cleaner and cleaner, although until you use it, it’s hard to describe. Basically if you click on an artist, you now see the album and its tracks in an easily accessible layout that makes finding the song you want simple and fast.

Even shopping is substantially improved, which actually makes iTunes dangerous to your wallet again instead of an annoyance you tolerate.

The Mini Player is more useful as well, allowing you to quickly navigate when necessary. You’ve probably had to download it already, but if not… go pick it up.

About Dan Seitz...
Dan Seitz is a semi-professional nerd (he'll have to code a homebrew game for the NES before he goes pro). He grew up fiddling with video game systems, computers, cameras, and other technology you should never hand to an eight-year-old if you want it back in pristine condition. Currently, he lives in Boston with his girlfriend, her cat, a Shih Tzu, and far too many objects with processors.